Drowned in Flames
by bren97122
Summary: A sequel of sorts to "Broken Circle." Booker thought he escaped Columbia. He thought he had prevented the grim future from becoming reality. He though he had created a safe world for his daughter. He was wrong.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello my beautiful readers! I'm sorry that I haven't been updating my romance fic in a while- school is a killer and personally, I'm getting strapped for ideas :/ This is a new project, as mentioned, a sort of sequel to "Broken Circle," except not exactly so happy. Fills in the events between Anna's wedding and the end of Booker's life. And believe me, it won't be easy... Anyways, hope you enjoy and R&R!**

* * *

"Daddy, are you happy for me?" Anna said to Booker.

Booker looked up from his cup of coffee. It was early in the morning and it was two weeks after Anna had been married to Jack Ryanson, the dashing Great War veteran. She has stopped by for a quick visit before her and Jack were to leave for their honeymoon in Paris in three days time.

"Of course, Anna. If you're happy with this, then I am happy as well," Booker replied. Anna smiled nervously from her seat across from Booker. "Oh, good, daddy. At the wedding, I just wasn't so sure if you still didn't approve of Jack."

Booker smirked and shook his head. "Anna, you know that I like him. He was a soldier, just like I was. We share common ground. And if he is the one you love and he will truly take care of you forever, then I can't stop it. Now stop thinking that I don't, because all I want is for you to be happy," Booker said to her. She sighed.

"I don't know, daddy. I'm going to miss not being around, here in New York," she said. Booker got up and put a hand on her cheek. "Don't worry. I'll always be here. But you really shouldn't worry, Anna. Go forth, live your life!" Booker said enthusiastically. Anna smiled and slowly nodded. "If you insist..."

Booker dropped his hand and got up to put away his plates. "So, how has Jack adjusted to civilian life? Did he get a new job yet?"

"Oh, yeah, he did. He got the construction job he applied to. With all those new- what are they calling them- skyscrapers going up, they need all the workers they can get," she said.

"Mm," Booker said thoughtfully. Times were sure changing. Buildings getting bigger, cities growing...

A loud rap at the apartment's door interrupted his thoughts. "Now who could that be?" Booker wondered aloud. Anna shrugged. "I don't think it can be Jack, he should be at work," she said.

Booker opened the door. And quickly shut it when he saw who was waiting.

"Who was it, daddy? Why'd you shut the door?" Anna asked. Booker quickly went to sit down at his seat. "No one. They had the wrong address."

A cry came from the door. "_Mr. DeWitt! _Open this door! We need to talk, this is important!"

Booker gritted his teeth and stomped over to his door and flung it open. The Luteces pushed passed him inside and slammed the door closed. Booker looked like he was about to punch someone and Anna looked from her seat in mute confusion.

"Who are you people?" she asked. Rosalind Lutece slumped against a wall and waved her hand. "Not important right now. We must talk to your father," she said.

"What do you want from me?" Booker asked.

"It's not what _we_ want," Robert Lutece said.

"It's what everyone else wants!"Rosalind gasped. Booker shook his head. "What are you two talking about?"

"Mr. DeWitt, do you remember the dream you had when you first entered Columbia? Not a dream, more so a prophetic vision, really," Rosalind finished.

"What the hell do you mean?" Booker asked. "Does this directly threaten me? My daughter?" he asked.

"It does, Mr. DeWitt, it threatens not just you and your loved ones, it threatens everyone, this whole nation, and maybe the world," Rosalind said, actually being serious and not riddling Booker for once.

"And what am I supposed to do about it?" he said. "I'm not involving myself with this again, I will _not_ put myself in danger. Find someone else to be your damn scientific guinea pigs, I'm not doing it," Booker said angrily.

Anna spoke up. "Daddy, tell me right now what all of this is. Who are these people, what are they talking about?" Anna said. Booker tried to say something, but was interrupted by Robert.

"Never mind that, Anna, you and your father might want to get down right now," he said as he checked a pocket watch. "Why?" Anna and Booker asked at the same time. At that moment, a sound like thunder outside their window. Booker and Anna both looked out and saw a fireball heading for Booker's apartment. Booker grabbed her and pushed her down to floor away from the window and shielded her with his body seconds before the fireball hit his apartment, sending walls collapsing in and the ceiling crumbling. A chair smacked against Booker's back and Anna screamed in horror.

Once the dust settled, Booker helped Anna up and turned to the Luteces, who were hiding behind a couch. "I need answers, _now_!" he shouted. Rosalind dusted herself off and pointed to the now revealed New York City skyline. "Look, Mr. DeWitt." Booker and Anna tentatively went to look out.

It was like a nightmare bought to life.

Airships flew in waves over towering buildings, firing artillery at random. It was a different New York, a New York from the future. Fires burned, buildings were being toppled, and Columbian soldiers could be seen dropping down from airships and hovercrafts onto building roofs and street level. Vehicles lay wrecked and burning on the city streets, gun fire mingling with fires to light up the night. And in the distance, looking like something out of a science fiction novel was a towering Columbia, sailing in with a giant angel overlooking the carnage...

"Oh my God..." Anna whimpered, grabbing her father's arm and burying her face into his shoulder.

"What... What is this...?" Booker whispered in disbelief. "I thought I stopped this. I thought I had made sure this would never happen."

Rosalind came up behind Booker. "Mr. DeWitt, this is the reality you have created even though you tried so hard to stop it."

"It's 17th December, 1983. Columbia has come back."


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm not responsible for this- any of this. I- I killed Comstock. And Columbia shouldn't really exist anymore. Me and Elizabeth made sure," Booker said, looking out at the carnage. Robert ran a hand through his hair in thought. "Well, we thought so too, Mr. DeWitt."

"But the thing is," Rosa began, "My brother found out something strange with the infinite realties you visited. They were beginning to break down and combine into one singular reality where the key variables were _changed_. We fear the worst- Comstock has changed, Mr. DeWitt. He is no longer you. And we don't even think he is _human_," Rosalind said. What really scared Booker was that the Luteces were no longer speaking in riddles and making Booker attempt to figure out moments later. They were talking straight to him and honestly sounded... Desperate for help. "Mr. DeWitt, we need your help stopping this," Robert said.

Another explosion shook the apartment. "And why would I help you two?" he asked. The twins looked at each other. "I told you he'd say that," Robert said smugly. Rosalind rolled her eyes. "Never mind that. Look, take your daughter and whatever you need and _run_. You must go up the closest street right outside your apartment. There, we guarantee you, you will find people who will help you," she said.

"Bowery?" he asked

Rosalind nodded quickly. "Yes, yes. Take your gun too."

Booker wasted no time in retrieving his Mauser C96 from his office and returning to the living room. He grabbed Anna by the arm. "Come on, sweetheart, we need to go," he said softly. Tears continued to streak down her cheeks. Her watery blue eyes searched Booker's for an answer.

"What is this, daddy? What's going on? I'm scared..."

Booker took a long time to respond. In the distance, the explosions continued.

"I'm scared too, Anna," he finally said.

When he ran out, the Luteces had disappeared. Anna noticed this. "Where did-"

"Never mind that, we need to go," he said, skirting the question.

He led her to the front door and opened it up. The hallway was very different from the apartment he had seen every day. Just two feet from his door, the corpse of a man was sprawled face down in a pool of blood. It didn't look like anyone Booker knew, and his style of dress was drastically different from his and Anna's. _Oh, right. I'm in the future, _he thought. Anna gasped at the grisly sight. Three large bullet holes peppered the man's back. "Daddy..." Anna whispered.

Booker shook his head and moved her on. The whole building rumbled as the Columbian attack intensified. There was a sudden shout at the end of the hall. A pair of figures tumbled through a doorway, struggling over a rifle. One was obviously a Columbian soldier, still dressed in the flashy blue uniforms Booker remembered. With a shout, Booker let of Anna and wrapped his right arm around the soldier's neck, forming a tight chokehold. The soldier was caught off guard by the sudden attack and Booker quickly forced him to the ground. Booker loosened his grip, but as the soldier attempted to get back to his feet, Booker planted a swift stomp to the soldier's throat. The man the soldier was in combat with quickly fled. Anna came up to Booker, with a hand over her mouth. "You- you killed him, daddy," she said, near whisper.

Booker took her hand. "Get a hold of yourself. We need to keep moving," Booker said as he and Anna stepped over the corpse. They reached the front door and as soon as they departed, they were met with a chaotic scene.

Dozens of people ran in all directions. They ran in to cars and objects on the sidewalks, sometimes into each other. A fleeing man smacked into Booker shoulder, but didn't break pace in his fleeing. Booker led Anna down the street. Several buildings were on fire, a few corpses were splayed out in the street or on the sidewalk. A Columbian airship sailed in over head, racking a building with machine gun fire. A few soldiers were dropped off from the airship down onto street level. Booker led Anna into an alley, away from the fighting. The street was deserted. The two of them ran as far away from the gunfire as possible. There were only a few wrecked cars on this street. Booker and Anna slowed down.

Anna wiped a tear from her cheek. "Daddy, please just tell me what's going on. Why are we here? Who were those people? I just have so many questions, daddy," she said.

Booker leaned down to match her height. We wiped away a tear. "Listen honey. This is 1983 right now and America is under attack. And I have been... chosen to help fight it off, okay? I'll make everything clear when the time comes. I promise."

Anna was silent for a bit, but when she opened her mouth to speak, it was drowned out by the turbines of a Columbian hovercraft. The two of them stood up and looked at the searchlight beam that focused on them. An automated machine gun began to swivel in the father and daughter's direction. Booker pushed her away down the street, shouting for her to take cover by some rubble. Booker tripped over some mangled metal and as he tried to stand up, the hovercraft adjusted to make a final shot. Booker could only shield his face and listen to Anna scream.

There was a sudden, loud _boom_ overhead. Booker opened his eyes and saw a sleek, silvery shape swoop in from behind some buildings. The new craft jettisoned some sort of rocket from its underside, which immediately streaked towards the hovercraft. The hovercraft was too slow in avoiding it, and the rocket scored a direct hit. The hovercraft burst into flames and crashed into a nearby building. Booker got up; taking a moment to enjoy his new found luck. The other aircraft streaked off faster than anything he had seen in Columbia. He ran over to Anna and helped her up. "You okay, Anna?" he asked she nodded in reply. "Alright, let's keep moving," Booker said.

They continued to walk down the street, Booker wondering who was going to help them like Rosalind promised. They went to turn down another street, but heard several heavy boots stomping up behind them, along with a man saying "Alright guys, this way- keep it tight!" Booker and Anna turned and saw a group of about thirteen men in green camouflage and wielding sleek, black weapons that looked like they were constructed out of some sort of plastic. Catching sight of the father and daughter, they immediately held up their weapons. Booker figured they must be the United States Army of the future. Booker and Anna put up their hands.

One of the men, who had the rank of staff sergeant as Booker noticed on his uniform, stepped up, keeping his gun trained on Booker. "Both of you. On your knees, now," he said gruffly, motioning with his gun. Booker complied and Anna mimicked. He looked at the pistol in Booker's belt. "Hand over the weapon," he ordered. Booker withdrew his pistol and threw it to the feet of the staff sergeant. He picked it up and handed it over to another man. The man who received the pistol examined it closely.

"Whoa. A Mauser. This thing is a damn antique," he mused.

The staff sergeant went over to the pair and patted them down for any weapons. Booker glared at him when he patted down Anna. "Hey don't get to comfortable there, pal," he snapped at the staff sergeant.

"Shut the hell up," he growled back. "Both of you, on your feet," he ordered. They both complied. The man withdrew a rectangular box with a little rod sticking out of the top from a pocket. He pushed a button and spoke into it. "Captain, we have two prisoners who appear to be affiliated with the hostiles. Please advise, over."

After a bit the man spoke again. "One is a male, possibly forty years old, the other is a female, eighteen or nineteen, over."

Then, one last time "Yes sir. We'll take them back safe. Yes sir, over."

He and his men formed a box around Booker and Anna and started to walk them off. _So much for the 'help,'_ Booker thought to himself. Suddenly, the familiar sound of mechanical joints working came from a building. The soldiers looked up and saw a hulking silhouette jump down from a building. The thing hollered "_Every step I take burns!_"

"_Handyman!_" Booker shouted as the half man, half machine monstrosity charged towards the group. The soldiers scattered and began to shoot wildly at it. The Handyman grabbed a lone soldier in one of its massive paws and hurled him with ease through a storefront. It lifted up a car and pitched it at Booker and Anna, barely missing them. Booker and Anna crouched behind some rubble and watched the men frantically do battle with it. The staff sergeant ran over to where the pair was and grabbed Booker by the collar of his shirt.

"The hell is that thing? How do I stop it?" he frantically asked.

Booker pushed the man off him and said "See the heart? Shoot it there!"

The soldier fired a burst from his gun and narrowly avoided being crushed by the Handyman's foot. He tapped on the shoulder of another soldier and yelled "Get out your Stinger missile, aim for the heart, got it?" The man he addressed nodded and took a long tube with a scope off his back. He pointed it at the Handyman, who was standing still coughing, and called out

"Got a lock... And FIRING!"

The tube shot out a rocket which impacted right in the heart. The glass vessel burst and the heart was torn apart. The Handyman quickly crumpled, dead. The men stood in silence; with the staff sergeant walking over to the Handyman's head and shooting in point blank with his gun several times. He turned back to Booker and Anna. "Thanks, I guess. You're still coming with us."

* * *

They were escorted to a large shopping center somewhere in the city. Anna said to Booker upon their arrival "Daddy, this is Macy's. Where I work!" It had been converted into a military command post. All sorts of equipment Booker didn't recognize were set up and men were on phones and other communication devices, while the wounded were being tended to in various areas.

The staff sergeant said to Booker "The captain wants to see you."

They were lead to a room where a small knot of officers were looking over a map of New York, with pins and markings all over the place. At the head, a hard looking middle aged man with a captain's pin in his lapel studied the man intently.

"What's our status on air support?" he asked.

"We got three squadrons of F-16s, all engaged with hostile air forces, which appear to be limited to airships and hovercraft. All other squadrons are tied up with hostiles down in Washington or Hartford."

"What about heavy artillery?"

"We're attempting to procure as many pieces as we can, sir. So far we have fourteen pieces, which are currently bombarding hostile infantry along the East River."

"What's the current death toll?"

"We don't know, sir."

The staff sergeant knocked on the doorframe. "Sir, here's the prisoners you requested."

The captain nodded. "Very good, staff sergeant."

He waved away the staff sergeant and walked over to Booker and Anna. "I apologize for any poor treatment my men have given you. My name is Captain Felix Ryanson and I am-"

He stopped suddenly when he looked at Booker directly.

"Wait a second. I know you. You're- you're my great grandfather."


End file.
